We have begun to examine the 5 business growth strategies that every business needs to adopt in order to grow to the next level. In our last post we looked at the #1 Key to Business Success. Here we will look at how to get customers.
This second strategy is straight forward:
Identify and Implement the Most Efficient and Cost-Effective Way to Win New Clients & Customers.
This should be one of your most consistent business growth strategies. Healthy businesses have a steady stream of new clients and customers coming in their door.
Traditionally when business owners would think about attracting new customers they would think about advertising – typically print, radio, or tv ads. In recent years most business owners are utilizing the web and digital marketing to get customers.
However, there are at least 6 major ways to market your business and get customers.
Traditional Advertising
As has already been mentioned this would include various print ads, radio, tv, billboards, signs, fliers, brochures, phone books, direct mail, telemarketing, etc. Traditional advertising is still very effective for many small businesses, depending on the community, the type of business, and the medium.
Digital Marketing
This would include websites, email marketing, content marketing, online directory listings, SEO and Local SEO, PPC, etc. If digital marketing isn’t a part of your strategy, we’d love to help you create one that you can manage yourself. Contact us for more info.
PR (Public Relations)
This is about serving your local community. You use a PR tactic when you serve on a local Board, work on a community committee, or help a local charity. Many business owners have a heart to serve their community, and through your service you become known as a giver and contributor to the good of others. This is also accomplished through sponsoring local events, school projects, or business luncheons. As you build a “serving” reputation, people will know you and want to do business with you.
Social Media Marketing
We separate Social Media Marketing from Digital Marketing in this article because it can take more time than other aspects of digital marketing. This would include Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and others. This would also include organic posts as well as paid ads and sponsored or boosted posts. Many of our clients have seen tremendous success in recent years with Facebook Marketing, specifically paid ads. The ability to target your ideal customer is unheard of.
Referral Marketing
This includes acquiring referrals from both your clients and other strategic business partners. Some of your best customers will come from referral marketing. For most small businesses, referrals are their highest converting leads. But you need a strategy to make sure you get them from your satisfied clients and customers.
Relationship Marketing
This is primarily networking. Relationship Marketing is sometimes the slowest to come to fruition, but can be a useful way to get known and build a personal brand. Brian Tracy once said, “To make more sells, talk to more people.” As you build relationships people will not only know you but they will come to like you and trust you. This almost always leads to new business.
The bottomline is this: every business must get new customers to survive and grow!
To build a healthy business you must develop a strategy for business growth. Put your marketing plan together utilizing these 6 marketing strategies and begin implementing this plan systematically and consistently. As you do this you will get customers and watch your business grow. As a business coach, this is one way I help new clients. Contact us for a No-Obligation Strategy Session to see how we can help you get new customers.
